Skopje, 22 October 2024 (MIA) -- The political party Levica has filed a criminal complaint against Parliament Speaker Afrim Gashi over his alleged abuse of office regarding the draft-law on Macedonian defenders, Levica PM Sashko Janchev told a press conference Tuesday.

Janchev told reporters Gashi had violated his duty in not convening a committee session to discuss the bill.

"The law has been stuck in parliamentary procedure ever since the relevant committee chair decided not to convene a session and, this way, block the law," Janchev said, adding that it was Gashi's duty to unblock the procedure by convening the session himself and appointing a new session chair, in line with the parliamentary Rules of Procedure.

However, Gashi told reporters on Sept. 16 he had no intention of unblocking the defenders bill or convening a session about it -- and he has not, to this day, the Levica MP said.

According to Janchev, the parliamentary speaker saying he had no right to intervene and appoint another session chair since the committee chair had previously convened a session in line with legal provisions, was Gashi's "extensive interpretation, aimed at never placing the defenders law on the agenda."

"The Rules of Procedure clearly say: If a committee chair does not convene a session on a given law, the parliament speaker needs to appoint another session chair within 24 hours," he said.

The defenders law proposal was submitted by SDSM lawmaker and former defense minister Slavjanka Petrovska.

The bill received the support of lawmakers for a fast-track parliamentary procedure.

When parliamentary Social Policy, Demographics, and Youth Committee chair Ilire Dauti did not put the bill on the agenda at a committee session, Parliament Speaker Gashi said Dauti had convened the session regardless and he had no official powers to appoint a new session chair.

"Article 126 of the Rules of Procedure does not say, 'If the committee chair refuses to put a specific law on the agenda" but "if the committee chair does not convene a session'," the parliament speaker said.

Given that Ilire Dauti had convened a session on the law, Gashi said in a TV appearance, the Rules of Procedure prevented him from appointing another lawmaker to chair the session.

"Over these four months, we saw several inconsistencies, such as this one with the Defenders Law, or Talat Xhaferi holding two posts and some other issues that I plan on tackling through the Committee on Election and Appointment Issues. They should be those who decide and reach conclusions regarding the next amendments to the parliamentary Rules of Procedure," Gashi told Kanal 5 TV on Sept. 16. mr/